The Internal Communicator's Thanksgiving

We can’t help but feel all warm and fuzzy inside when we think of all the amazing communications practitioners we get to connect with every single day.

So for Thanksgiving we asked our favourite communicators what they were thankful for this year.

And as always, they did not disappoint. The IC community is giving, inspiring and relentlessly seeking authentic connection and improvement. Needless to say, we’re pretty thankful that we get to engage with such lovely people and professionals across the globe.

Here’s what IC Influencers had to be thankful for this year in internal comms:

The Amazing IC Community

"I’m thankful for working with a team that makes me feel like I’m hangin’ with friends – even when stress is super high. I’m thankful that analytics are helping us pave our own path in internal communications for. The. First. Time.And I’m thankful for finding a $10 wine that doesn’t give me a red-wide headache." —Jen Hall, Internal Communications Manager, Novant Health

"I am grateful for all the new connections I've made this year and the opportunity to share openly about challenges we face in communications. My sincere thanks to folks like Chuck Gose for spearheading these important conversations." —Elizabeth Jurewicz, Global Sale Enablement Program Strategist, IBM

"I am very thankful for an awesome community of internal communicators that spans the globe. I love the interaction on social and the very best is meeting someone in person that you’ve 'known' for years and can’t believe you’re meeting for the first time in real life.I think that there is a special camaraderie among internal communicators. Maybe because we’re somewhat of a new profession, and we feel like we are getting to create what “it” is together by solving common problems that cross all sectors and industries. I’m not sure – but it is special!" —Elisabeth Wang, Director of Communications & Public Relations, Piedmont Healthcare

"I am so thankful for my growing network of internal comms pros and the expanding reach of our work. It makes my heart happy that we are starting to acknowledge the quality of our work based on the depth of exchange it creates. If we were a sports team, we'd be Team Canada at the 2010 Olympic hockey gold medal game. Oops...too soon?" —Kristin Hancock, Manager of Communications, College of Registered Nurses of Manitoba

"We’re thankful for the marvellous mix of comms challenges we’ve been presented with throughout 2017 that have given us the opportunity to flex our creative muscle and work in a way that gets our blood pumping. What a wild ride! And we’re looking forward to more of the same in 2018. Also, we’re thankful for being a part of such an awesome comms network full of lovely people like you guys. 😀 Oh, and Ben and Jerry’s ice cream. We wouldn’t attempt to function without that. Happy Thanksgiving, all!" —Alan Oram, Director, Alive With Ideas

"As an internal communicator I'm thankful to lead such an incredible team of inspiring, creative people who trust our vision and lead in our industry. How many other companies have a culture in which you can decide, as a team, to carve two weeks out of everyone's schedule to go film a documentary in Europe about a Danish word no one can even pronounce?" —Rocky Walls, CEO, 12 Stars Media

"I’m grateful to the wider communications and engagement community for their achievements! We undertake an often misunderstood and undervalued role in organisations, and it’s important we continue to support each other, so we can help create the environment for people and companies to prosper." —Rich Baker, Senior Internal Communications Manager, National Grid, IoIC Board Director, Director at Hiyu Ltd.

"A terrific team — there are three of us, which includes a boss who champions our internal communications work and shares my vision for how it connects to larger organizational business outcomes." —Erica Goodwin, Global/Internal Communications Manager, Heifer

"I’m thankful for the incredible global community of communication practitioners. IC pros around the world are generous with their knowledge, which helps us all learn. I’ve particularly enjoyed Chuck Gose’s contributions, not least via his ICology podcast. Thank you to everyone who has shared their thoughts, challenges, failures and successes this year." —Rachel Miller, Director, All Things IC consultancy

The Growth in Internal Comms

"I am thankful for the opportunity to help great organizations hire amazing communications leaders! And of course, winning the Canada 150 T-Shirt at the IABC Canada Party because I got all the answers right on the quiz! 😊 " —Angee Linsey, Managing Director, Linsey Careers

"I’m thankful that organizations and leaders are starting to recognize that internal communication can engage employees, enable change, and connect the dots between strategy and business results. As a consultant, it’s exciting that leaders are looking to solve problems, not just deliver tactics." —Priya Bates, President, Inner Strength Communication

"I’m thankful that every year I see more and more companies understanding that strategic internal communication can create a business advantage over their competitors.

This year, I have seen internal communication taking firm hold in Lithuania, a country whose communicators, business leaders and government groups I’ve been working with and making presentations to for nine years. When I gave my first talks about measurably effective internal communication to CEOs eight years ago, not one Lithuanian company had a full-time internal communicator. In early November, 150 communicators showed up to my latest talk and dozens of them now had full-time IC jobs. So I’m grateful for the growing respect our profession has been gaining, and as a first-generation American of Lithuanian parents, I'm especially grateful that Lithuanian companies will be able to compete even more strongly in the global marketplace with well-informed and engaged workforces." —Angela Sinickas, CEO, Sinickas Communications, Inc.

"I'm thankful for a lot this year. Not least, that after 8 years as a solopr guy, I now have joined a growing agency that values me personally and professionally. #Youlikeme

Second is gratitude for a wonderful circle of friends both personal and professional, and most important, my wife, Sandy, who has been at my side through all thick and thin for 34 years!" —Sean Williams, Vice President and Practice Lead of Education and Internal Communications, True Digital Communications

New Internal Comms Insights & Tools

"I’m grateful for the ‘gift of insights’—learning from the experiences of others, and discovering creative influencers, ideas, blogs, webinars, tools and new trends." —Stephanie Richard, Internal Communications Advisor, Calgary Zoo

"I’m thankful for a team that is always putting the employee first. We’ve transitioned this year to always consider the employee in all we do—what will the employee experience be when they read, watch, etc. for a specific communication." —Annie Dumond, Director of Internal Communications, Concur

"What I am really thankful for is the number and quality of discussion venues for raising issues in the internal comms world and how active they are—I've been blogging for more than 10 years, but now platforms like LinkedIn Pulse, Twitter, IC Kollectif and various podcasts like FIR and ICology have offered great opportunities to talk about reviving IC Strategy." —Mike KleinInternal Communications strategist, author and owner of Changing The Terms

You may not know this, but Bananatag is actually a Canadian company. That means ‘real’ thanksgiving was actually last month (as the hilarious Canadian, Kristin Hancock not-so-subtly pointed out to us).

But like good Canadians, we’ll use any excuse to compliment each other. . . and eat more pie.

Happy Thanksgiving Internal Communicators!

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Bananatag's sharp-shootin' word-slinger, who's got a huge crush on internal communicators. She knows that communication is where the magic happens and loves helping individuals and organizations engage and connect. When she's not making googly eyes at communicators, she's scouring the internet for the perfect gif or finding new ways to convert her desk into the perfect nap space.